Chapter 029 Xiao He: Tell General Guan—I want Yu Jin alive!

At the North Gate of Xiangyang City, Liu Bei stood atop the watchtower with his remaining subordinates, gazing down at the waterborne encampment and the ferry terminal.

Xiangyang bordered the water, and the ferry terminal lay directly beneath their eyes. They could clearly see soldiers boarding ships in an orderly fashion. The banner bearing the character "Guan" fluttered sharply in the river breeze. While others might have harbored doubts and felt anxious, Liu Bei’s eyes held nothing but firm conviction. He trusted Xiao He’s judgment, and he trusted his sworn brother; he was certain this battle would be a victory.

"If not for Yuanzhi’s earnest advice back then, I would never have thought to have Yunchang secretly drill in naval warfare. How could we have put such skills to use today?" Liu Bei murmured, his gaze drifting toward the other side of the Han River. "Yuanzhi, you must be on the opposite bank right now. Perhaps you can see for yourself how the foresight you once had has finally blossomed into fruit..."

Xiao He understood that Liu Bei was reminiscing about Xu Shu. In truth, he wished Xu Shu were here, too. When it came to strategic intellect, Xu Shu was at least a match for the likes of Cheng Yu and Liu Ye on the other side. With Xu Shu present, the pressure wouldn't be entirely on his own shoulders; a little less mental strain would certainly be welcome.

Just as Liu Bei was lost in thought, a personal guard hurried up the tower. "Reporting to my Lord, the envoy from Jiangdong, Lu Su, has returned and is waiting at the government office for your summons."

Lu Su? It was quite a coincidence that he would arrive at such a critical moment, right before the naval battle. He certainly knew how to pick his timing.

"Bowen, we must not slight Lu Zijing. I must trouble you to receive him and see him settled; I shall join you shortly." Liu Bei could not leave his post while observing the battle. As Lu Su was an honored guest, being received by Xiao He—the second-in-command of his strategist corps—was a sign of the importance Liu Bei placed on Sun Quan and Jiangdong.

It was noon, and the sun was scorching. Xiao He, who was more than happy to escape the heat on the city wall, gladly accepted the task. Zhao Yun summoned guards to escort Xiao He back to the government office. Guan Yinping, worried about her father’s naval engagement, hesitated for a moment before reluctantly following Xiao He down the tower.

A quarter of an hour later, at the government office, Xiao He walked into the hall with a smile, greeting Lu Su with the warmth he deserved. Lu Su rose to welcome him with a smile of his own. After the initial pleasantries, they took their respective seats. Xiao He ordered wine and tea to be served to refresh their guest.

"My Lord, General Sun, has decided to form an alliance with the Governor of Yu, Liu Bei. He accepts the proposal to temporarily withhold troops from Jiangxia and plans instead to lead his army across the river to attack Hefei, thereby diverting the Cao army's forces," Lu Su explained, producing a letter from his robes. "I have returned this time to convey my master's intent to the Governor of Yu, and I have brought his personal letter of alliance."

Xiao He offered a polite compliment to Sun Quan’s ambition before accepting the letter with an apologetic smile. "General Sun is indeed a man of great vision. With my Lord joining forces with such a leader, there is no fear that we shall fail to eliminate Cao and restore the Han dynasty! However, the Cao general Yu Jin is currently leading the Cao navy into the Han River, and General Guan is just about to lead our own fleet to intercept them. With such a great battle at hand, my Lord must remain on the city wall to oversee the situation. He will come to meet you, Zijing, as soon as the battle is concluded."

Xiao He spoke lightly, but Lu Su’s expression changed drastically. "Cao Cao and Liu Bei, a pair of landlubbers—you intend to fight on the Han River? This is absolute madness!"

"Mr. Xiao, please take me to see the Governor of Yu at once!" Lu Su jumped up, his drink forgotten.

"Zijing, please, there is no need for such haste. Once my Lord finishes this battle, he will return. Come, let us drink first." Xiao He smiled, pressing Lu Su back into his seat and placing a cup of wine in his hand.

*Clang!* Lu Su set his cup down and said with great urgency, "Guan Yunchang is a northerner! How could he possibly know how to fight a naval battle? If he is defeated by the Cao army and loses control of the Han River, Fancheng will be cut off on the northern bank—would that not be disastrous? I must see the Governor of Yu immediately and request that he order Guan Yunchang to hold his position, and instead deploy our Jiangdong navy to repel the enemy. That is the only secure path."

Before Xiao He could respond, Guan Yinping, hearing Lu Su belittle her father, wore a look of displeasure. "You are not familiar with my father—how do you know he cannot fight a naval battle?" she retorted, her brows furrowed.

Lu Su coughed awkwardly and gave a sheepish smile. "Miss Guan, you misunderstand. I do not mean to slight General Guan; I only mean that since ancient times, northerners ride horses and southerners sail boats. It is only natural that General Guan would not be skilled in naval warfare. For the sake of safety, it is better to urgently deploy our Jiangdong navy to assist. I can guarantee that we would prevent even a single sail of the Cao army from entering the Han River." There was a hint of pride in Lu Su’s voice when he spoke of his own navy.

"What the ancients said is not necessarily the truth! Who says northerners only ride horses and southerners only sail boats? Mr. Lu, surely you know how to ride a horse?" Guan Yinping fired back.

Lu Su was rendered speechless. *This girl is just being contrarian,* he thought. *She is splitting hairs—that is not what I meant at all!*

Xiao He glanced at Lu Su, easily guessing his intentions. For one, he was genuinely worried about Guan Yu’s defeat, but more importantly, he wanted to use this opportunity to have the Jiangdong navy enter Jingzhou, perhaps even reaching into Xiangyang and Fancheng. If that happened, they might easily defeat the Cao navy, but control over the Han River would then fall into Sun Quan’s hands.

There was no way Xiao He would let Liu Bei suffer such a silent loss.

"Zijing, calm yourself. It is true that General Guan is a northerner, but do not forget that Yu Jin and his Cao navy are also northerners," Xiao He said, placing the cup back into Lu Su’s hand with a reassuring smile. "Set your mind at ease. Stay here, enjoy the wine, and wait for news of General Guan’s victory."

Lu Su held the cup, gazing at Xiao He with a look of confused astonishment. Even if Yu Jin were a northerner, this battle was, at best, a clash between two amateurs—the outcome was far from certain. Where did Xiao Bowen find the confidence to be so sure of Guan Yu’s victory?

"By the way, General Zhao," Xiao He suddenly recalled, turning to instruct, "send someone to the city wall immediately. Ask my Lord to remind General Guan that if he can capture Yu Jin alive, that would be for the best. Keeping him alive could be very useful; I might just have a surprise for my Lord."

Zhao Yun could not fathom the deeper meaning behind Xiao He’s words, but he did not press for details and promptly ordered a guard to relay the message.

Lu Su gasped. "Even if this were our Jiangdong navy fighting, we wouldn't dare be so arrogant as to claim we could capture Yu Jin alive. What on earth is this Xiao Bowen relying on to have such trust in Guan Yu?"

Lu Su fiddled with his cup, utterly baffled. He was not alone; even Guan Yinping, as a daughter, felt a wave of uncertainty upon hearing Xiao He’s absolute confidence in her father.

"Leave the fighting to General Guan; for now, let us just drink," Xiao He said. "Zijing, you left in such a hurry last time that we didn't have a chance to drink properly. This time, we must drink our fill. Come, I shall drink first as a toast."

...

While the air in the government office was thick with the scent of wine, the atmosphere on the Han River was heavy with the intent to kill. Over a hundred warships and more than five thousand Cao soldiers had sailed from the Yu River into the Han. Though not as turbulent as the Yangtze, the Han River was far more treacherous than the Yu. The ships, which had been sailing smoothly, began to pitch and roll the moment they entered the Han.

At the bow of the flagship, Yu Jin stood proudly with his hand on his sword, looking calm and confident. Suddenly, the ship swayed violently. Losing his footing, Yu Jin stumbled and nearly fell, barely managing to steady himself by grabbing the flagpole.

"This is not what I expected," Yu Jin thought, his confidence fading as an ominous premonition surged in his heart. "Why is it suddenly so rough?"